{"id":3912,"date":"2005-11-19T15:25:13","date_gmt":"2005-11-19T20:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=3912"},"modified":"2026-04-13T20:11:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T00:11:45","slug":"the-books-the-strangest-kind-of-romance-tennessee-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=3912","title":{"rendered":"The Books: \u201cThe Strangest Kind of Romance\u201d (Tennessee Williams)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Next on the script shelf: <\/p>\n

Still in Tennessee Williams land. Funny – my sister Jean said to me last night: “Uhm … will we moving on soon? I had NO IDEA the guy wrote so much. Sheesh … take a break, buddy!!” haha<\/p>\n

\"27WagonsFullOfCotton.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Next Tennessee Williams play on the shelf is a one-act called The Strangest Kind of Romance<\/i>, included in 27 Wagons Full of Cotton And Other One-Act Plays<\/a>\"\"<\/i>. <\/p>\n

It takes place (of course) in a rooming-house. A falling-down rooming house in an industrial town. The factory chugs away outside the window. It starts with the landlady showing a room to a potential tenant (the character name is Little Man). The tenant is a nervous sickly man, who shakes uncontrollably. He hopes to get a job at the factory. She shows him the room – all the men who have stayed there before have written their names on the wall. And one of them left a cat behind. The cat stays in the room and is a character in the play. The nervous man ends up taking the room basically because he feels a bond with the cat. The landlady is a talkative blowsy woman who pretty much accepts whatever male tenant comes as her lover, because her husband is ill. The nervous man kind of falls into a thing with the landlady – but the “strangest kind of romance” in the title is the romance between the man and the cat. The man has never loved anything. He loves this cat.<\/p>\n

I’ll excerpt from the second scene. It opens with the Little Man telling the sleeping cat about his day. He talks and talks and talks … and the Landlady ends up walking in on this. Oh, and the Landlady also carried around a balalaika with her, and plays it occasionally. She sits down and starts to talk to the Little Man.<\/p>\n


\nFrom The Strangest Kind of Romance<\/i>, by Tennessee Williams.<\/strong><\/p>\n

LANDLADY. Some nights I hear you — talking through the door. Who is he talking to, I used to wonder. [She chuckles<\/i>] At first I imagined you had a woman in here. Well, I’m a tolerant woman. I know what people need is more than food and more than work at the plant. [She plays dreamily for a moment<\/i>] So when I heard that talking I was pleased. I said to myself — “That lonely little man has found a woman!” I only hoped it wasn’t one picked up — you know — on the street. Women like that aren’t likely to be very clean. Female hygiene’s a lot more — complicated. Well … [The Little Man looks down in an agony of embarrassment<\/i>[<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. It wasn’t — a woman.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. I know. I found that out. Just you. Carrying on a one-sided conversation with a cat! Funny, yes — but kind of pitiful, too. You a man not even middle-aged yet — devoting all that care and time and affection — on what? A stray alleycat you inherited just by chance from the man who stayed here before you, that fool of a Russian! The strangest kind of a romance … a man — and a cat! What we mustn’t do is disregard nature. Nature says — “Man takes woman or — man is lonesome!” [She smiles at him coyly and moves a little closer<\/i>] Nature has certainly never said, “Man take cat!”<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. [suddenly, awkwardly rising<\/i>] Nature has never said anything to me.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. [impatiently<\/i>] Because you wouldn’t listen!<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. Oh, I listened. But all I ever heard was my own voice — asking me troublesome questions!<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. You hear me<\/i>, don’t you?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. I hear you singing when I come home sometimes. That’s very good, I like it.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. Then why don’t you stop in the parlor and have a chat? Why do you act so bashful? [She rises and stands back of him<\/i>] We could talk — have fun! When you took this room you gave me a false impression.<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. What do you mean?<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. Have you forgotten the conversation we had?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. I don’t remember any conversation.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. You said you wanted to do just like the Russian.<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. I meant about the cat, to have her with me!<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. I told you he also helped about the house!<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. I’m on the night-shift now!<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. Quit dodging the issue! [There is a pause and then she touches his shoulder<\/i>] I thought I explained things to you. My husband’s a chronic invalid, codein, now, twice a day! Naturally I have — lots of steam to blow off! [The Little Man moves nervously away. She follows ponderously, reaching above her to switch off the electric globe<\/i>] Now — that’s better, ain’t it?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. I don’t think I know — exactly.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. You ain’t satisfied with the room?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. I like the room.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. I had the idea you wasn’t satisfied with it.<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. The room is home. I like it.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. The way you avoided having a conversation — almost ran past the front room every night. Why don’t we talk together? The cat’s got your tongue?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. You wouldn’t be talking — to me.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. I’m talking to you — direckly!<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. Not to me<\/i>.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. You! me! Where is any third party?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. There isn’t a second party.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. What?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. You’re only talking to something you think is me.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. Now we are<\/i> getting in deep.<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. You made me say it. [turning to face her<\/i>] I’m not like you, a solid, touchable being.<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. Words — wonderful! The cat’s let go of your tongue?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. You’re wrong if you think I’m — a person! I’m not — no person! At all …<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. What are you, then, little man?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. [sighing and struggling<\/i>] A kind of a — ghost of a — man …<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. [laughing<\/i>] So you’re not Napoleon, you’re Napoleon’s ghost!<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. When a body is born in the world — it can’t back out ….<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. Huh?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. But sometimes —<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. What?<\/p>\n

LITTLE MAN. [with a bewildered gesture<\/i>] The body is only — a shell. It may be alive — when what’s inside — is too afraid to come out! It stays locked up and alone! Single! Private! That’s how it is — with me. You’re not talkingn to me — but just what you think<\/i> is me!<\/p>\n

LANDLADY. [laughing, gently<\/i>] Such a lot of words. You’ve thrown me the dictionary. All you needed to say was that you’re lonesome. [She touches his shoulder<\/i>] Plain old lonesomeness, that’s what’s the matter with you! [He turns to her and she gently touches his face<\/i>] Nature says, “Don’t be lonesome!” [The curtain begins to fall<\/i>] Nature says — “Don’t<\/i> — be lonesome!”<\/p>\n

CURTAIN<\/p>\n

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